Likewar: The Weaponization of Social Media

by P.W. Singer

The Kurdish news network Rudaw didn’t just dispatch camera crews to embed with soldiers on the front lines; it also livestreamed the whole thing, promising “instant access” to the carnage across Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. When an ISIS car bomb hurtled toward the screen and exploded, friends, family, and tens of thousands of strangers watched together as a Rudaw reporter struggled to his feet before screaming the name of his cameraman into the billowing smoke. Because the livestream included emojis—smiling and frowning faces, hearts, and the universal “like” symbol—the scene unleashed a cascade of cartoon emotions. Most viewers were fearful for the crew’s safety, so their yellow emoji faces registered shock. When the cameraman’s friend emerged safely, the emojis changed to a wave of online smiles. Scattered among them, however, were a few frowning faces. These were the ISIS sympathizers and fighters who had wanted the journalists to die.